1944, Operation Overlord (D-Day, June 6)

Brave men had fought their way through the African dunes
And climbed up and through the Italian ruins
Some had been fighting to the heart of the enemy land
Fighting and bombing always their deaths close at hand

The Canadian boys had crossed the ocean fearlessly
In the hopes of making Europe once again free
They all banded together with the yanks and the French
Who just short years before they had shared many a trench

They readied their weapons, they massed up their fleet
Soon the sands of Normandy would be under their feet
All the best men were chosen to spearhead the attack
They knew once they sailed there was no turning back

They first tried on the 5th in the wind and the rain
Then at the last moment weather turned them back again
Somehow they had kept their invasion secret from the enemy
And that made for better chances as they crossed the sea

Many men died just going over to survey the battle grounds
There was a way through but no way around
The Germans had built up a wall full of mortars and guns
Churchill sent out the call that he would get those Huns

And then on the 6th the biggest fleet the world had known
Said goodbye to England and the kindness she had shown
First came the paras, brave men, all volunteers
Bloodied and trained told to forget all their fears

They boarded their planes in the night and prepared for the worst
Those brave young warriors were always the first
Soon as they had hoped the invasion did come
Still there was wind and clouds and little sun

There was a small break in the weather just enough to get through
When the Nazi’s saw our boys coming they knew what to do
They set up fields of fire and pinned the men down
Even our Canadian boys fighting for family, country and crown

They inched up the beaches there was so many dangers
I won’t forget the tall cliffs climbed by the proud US Rangers
The men kept on coming, wave after wave
Most of them found just a watery grave

But somehow they did it and by the day’s end
They had a beach and some bridges that they could defend
They had to help Russia, they had to free France
If it hadn’t been then they may have lost their chance

As the next days went by all the Allies fought like mad
And the Nazis fought back with all that they had
But a soft spot remains in my heart for those men
Who won the battle for freedom so I can now use this pen